TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Steelers Stake A Dominant Claim

Pittsburgh Tips Arizona in 27-23 Thriller For Sixth Super Bowl Title

The Associated Press

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger celebrates after throwing the game-winning touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes.

ADVERTISEMENT

By IRA KAUFMAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 2, 2009

TAMPA - Those Terrible Towels were drooping Sunday night, and so was the NFL's No. 1 defense before Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes provided Pittsburgh with a Super lift.

By the time the confetti and tinsel landed on the plush turf of Raymond James Stadium, the AFC champion Steelers had staked a powerful claim as the most dominant franchise of the Super Bowl era with a thrilling 27-23 triumph against the resilient Arizona Cardinals.

Holmes earned Super Bowl MVP honors by catching nine passes for 131 yards, including the game-winning 6-yard touchdown catch with only 35 seconds remaining - two minutes after Arizona took its only lead of the game.

Roethlisberger found Holmes four times on the decisive 78-yard drive, including a 40-yard completion, before Pittsburgh's reeling defense secured a historic win by forcing a Kurt Warner fumble at midfield.

Pittsburgh (15-4) broke a tie with Dallas and San Francisco in becoming the first franchise to win six Super Bowls, but the Steelers crafted an atypical formula for victory as Warner threw for 224 yards in the final 15 frantic minutes alone.

"I've got a lot of love for Santonio right now," said Steelers linebacker James Harrison. "Our offense came through for us when we really needed it. We went out there and gave up a big touchdown and our offense came through at the end."

Harrison showed why he was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year, turning in the longest play in Super Bowl annals by intercepting a Warner pass and returning it 100 yards for a touchdown that put the Steelers ahead 17-7 as the opening half concluded.

Warner stayed upright long enough to throw for 377 yards against a relentless defense that had limited 17 of 18 opponents to fewer than 300 yards overall.

After being held to one catch for 12 yards through three quarters, Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald capped a magnificent postseason run by torching Pittsburgh's secondary in crunch time.

Fitzgerald finished with seven catches for 127 yards and two touchdowns, turning a short slant into a 64-yard score that temporarily put the Cardinals ahead 23-20 with 2:37 left.

"It hurts bad to be so close to being the champions and then have it snatched away," said Fitzgerald, who set NFL postseason receiving records with 30 catches, 546 yards and seven touchdowns. "I just feel empty right now."

Steelers owner Dan Rooney was overjoyed after seeing his club register a memorable win in Coach Mike Tomlin's second season.

"I was proud that they hung in there," Rooney said after hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy for the second time in four years. "It was wonderful. They are all special, but this was something because it was the sixth. They are all meaningful ... from one all the way to six."

The Cardinals (12-8) almost pulled off the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, but the NFC champions were undermined by 11 penalties and that critical pick by Harrison, who lumbered past the stunned Arizona bench during his record-setting return.

Arizona was outgained 140-13 in the opening quarter, but Warner wouldn't let the Cardinals get discouraged.

Facing the elaborate blitz schemes of defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, Warner kept firing away against a unit that was determined to take Fitzgerald out of the game.

"I am so proud of my team," said defensive tackle Darnell Dockett, the former Florida State standout who posted both of Arizona's sacks. "There isn't anybody in a million years that thought we would get here. Next year, we'll make a run for it again."

Roethlisberger, who beat himself up all week for a poor Super Bowl performance against Seattle three years ago, completed 21 of 30 passes and threw for 256 yards, overcoming a ground game that averaged only 2.2 yards per carry.

A pro-Steeler crowd kept those black and gold towels waving for most of a balmy evening as a crowd of 70,774 remained riveted by the rapidly shifting momentum.

Eighteen years after Tampa Stadium served up a terrific Super Bowl matchup between the Giants and Bills, the Bay area provided another dynamic backdrop for the league's showcase event.

"Like the city of Pittsburgh, we're very blue-collar, very humble and very unselfish," said Steelers Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu. "That legacy has been passed on as a fraternity. To be the first franchise to get to six, I hope, serves as an example to people. The Cardinals are a great team and they fought us to the end. Had it gone eight quarters, we probably would have had two more lead changes."

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT